The Complete Guide

Administration on Aging
This will direct you to your local agency on aging, which can then help you find local services and programs. The site also includes “Age Pages” - information on a variety of age-related topics from the AOA — and an extensive list of other websites concerned with issues of aging.

Agenet
Although the information here is aimed at long-distance caregivers, the site is helpful to anyone concerned about an aging relative. There are fact sheets, articles and links to other sites, products and services.

Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is an oasis for anyone with, or caring for someone with, Alzheimer's. The site provides an abundance of information on the disease, on coping and caregiving, and on local association chapters.

American Association of Retired Persons
AARP offers all sorts of information — referrals, resources and guidance on virtually every topic — for elderly people as well as their families.

Caregiver Network
Although this site is based in Canada, it provides useful information for all caregivers, as well as links to other caregiving websites.

Caregiver Survival Resources
Set up by Jim and Merlene Sherman, this site not only advertises their books, The Caregiver Survival Series, but also offers resources, answers to frequently asked questions, and links to other caregiving websites.

Careguide Careguide
In addition to an array of articles and information for caregivers, this site offers a national directory of services.

Choice in Dying
Choice in Dying, which was behind the original living will documents, provides an enormous amount of good, solid information on end-of-life care, patients' legal rights, planning for end-of-life care, advance directives (living will and health-care-proxy forms) and contacts for further guidance.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Through their website, the VA offers information about benefits for veterans and their dependents.

Eldercare Web
This is a library of websites that is continually updated for caregivers.

Family Caregiving Alliance
Based in California, the alliance offers support to families of people with brain disorders and diseases. Although many of the resources are specific to California, the site includes lots of facts, statistics and research information.

Healthfinder
The Department of Health and Human Services created this site to provide people with reliable health information.

Homecare On-Line
The National Alliance for Home Care is a trade organization, but this site provides information on finding, paying for, and selecting the right home care and hospice care.

Medicare
A government site aimed at educating consumers about Medicare health plans and policies, government publications and fraud.

Medscape
If healthfinder.com doesn't answer your medical questions, try medscape, a reliable source of medical information that will lead you to medical journals, a medical dictionary and the database of the National Library of Medicine.

National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
The coalition lobbies for nursing home reform and also helps individuals select a nursing home, insure adequate care, and respond when abuse or neglect is suspected.

National Family Caregivers Association
Once you sign up as a member, the association offers direct support and a newsletter, and does some lobbying for caregiver rights and services.

Seniors-Site
Although this site is for adults 50-plus, it includes information on coping and caring that is helpful for family members, as well as a forum for expressing views.

Senior Sites
This site includes a directory of more than 5,000 not-for-profit senior apartments, assisted living facilities and retirement communities, all of which are members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Social Security Administration
Everything you ever wanted to know about social security: benefit information, legislation, statistics, reports to Congress, and social security policies, in both English and Spanish.

Well Spouse Foundation
If your parent's primary caregiver is your other parent, then be sure that he or she is getting the support to do that job. The Well Spouse Foundation offers emotional support, information and referrals to local chapters.

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